Won’t mind sharing our No.1 Test rank with New Zealand: Virat Kohli

Team India is currently the ICC’s No.1 ranked Test team. It’s pretty evident from the fact that they have won all their seven matches in the ICC Test Championship and are sitting on top with 360 points. Virat Kohli, their 31-year-old skipper, said that his team has scaled heights in the last few years and therefore, most teams want to get the better of them.

Kohli along with the other members of the Indian team visited the Indian High Commission in Wellington ahead of the opening Test, starting February 21 at the Basin Reserve. The captain showed his immense love for New Zealand cricket, so much so that he won’t even mind sharing India’s No.1 with them.

“If we have to share our No.1 Test rank with anyone, it would be with New Zealand,” Kohli was quoted as saying during his speech. The Black Caps are currently ranked fourth in ICC’s rankings with 105 rating points. India, on the other hand, are sitting pretty with 120 points.

There won’t be any spite if the Kiwis defeat us: Virat

Virat also showered admiration for Kane Williamson, the Black Caps’ skipper. During one of the matches in the ongoing tour, Virat and Kane were seen, sitting on the sidelines and having a deep interaction. Soon after, the netizens marked it as a ‘Spirit of Cricket’ moment. The Delhi-born Virat stated that India and New Zealand have mutual respect for each other

“Something that we as a team has embraced a lot over the last three to four years, we have reached a stage where every team wants to beat us. And New Zealand won’t be any different, but the difference would be there won’t be any spite. That’s one reason why I can sit with Kane on the boundary line and have a conversation mid-game about life and not cricket,” he added.

Ahead of the Test series against New Zealand, #TeamIndia visits the Indian High Commission in Wellington. 🇮🇳🇳🇿

Talking about mutual admiration and respect between the two countries, listen to what @imVkohli has to say👌. @IndiainNZ pic.twitter.com/H3i7i0z9AW

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 19, 2020

In the Test Championship, India are brimming with confidence after beating the West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh. Virat, though, hasn’t been in the greatest of nicks in the current tour. He failed to get going in the ODI and T20I series. But Ian Smith, the renowned commentator, reckons that the Indian captain will be having at least one big score in the Tests if not more.